Here is yet another thread (maybe it should be made Sticky by the moderator?) where I thought we can post exactly which program we successfully have used to transfer and convert files from and to the VIC.

This program converts WAV to TAP to PRG/T64, either in one or two steps. Unfortunately, the final (?!) version available on Funet doesn't work too well with PAL VIC-20, although it seems to work with NTSC VIC-20 without modification, maybe due to different clocks. I modified it and sent a patch to Andreas, who never replied me.

It is a one-way conversion, so you can not get WAV from a PRG with this one.

These two programs supposedly do pretty much the same thing as tape64 does, but are bi-directional. Audiotap converts WAV <-> TAP, while WAV-PRG for some odd reason converts TAP <-> PRG/T64. There seems to be a limitation of one PRG per TAP, but since TAPs are possible to concatenate (at least for use in VICE), that is not a big problem.

I haven't tried the resulting WAV in a real VIC, so I don't know if it'll work - somebody who likes to can do and report here about success or not.

This is a neat utility which can be used to generate or extract files from disk images, read T64 images (after some complaining) etc. It does not handle TAP, but since both tape64 and WAV-PRG above have T64 output, it will work anyway.

I used them all in this way:

1. Convert Jeff's WAV to T64 with tape64
2. Extract the PRG from the T64 with cbmconvert
3. Create a D64 image with Jeff's and Boray's entries using cbmconvert
4. Convert the two PRG files into P00 files, as they will include a file name which WAV-PRG includes in the TAP
5. Use WAV-PRG twice to generate TAP files
6. Manually concatenate the TAPs into one
7. Use Audiotap to generate WAV out of the final TAP

For following entries, I will extend the D64 image, concatenate new files on the TAP and regenerate the WAV as required. Notice that I did not include my previously listed entry, as I might look into options to simplify or shorten it more.

Didn't the A64 package have its own file transfer software, or is it no good? Personally I use a cable almost identical to the Easy1541 cable, only with two diodes on the shared lines. It allows me to use Frank Paries' small "iec" tool which pretty much does everything the Easy1541 suite does but in one program rather than a handful.

However, some day now (tm) I will build my XM1541 cable and finally "get rid" of that old Amiga 500 on my desk. I have all the components I need, so I just have to gather time and inspiration to get going.

The A64 package is from the eighties (albeit later updated, but requires registration), and the only file transferfacilities that I can recall involve booting up the emulator and loading/saving the C64 way.

I use MTAP by Markus Brenner (usable with C64, Vic20 and C16 tapes) by connecting a 1530 datasette to my 486 PC using the appropriate cable. It produced a working backup of my Ultima tape, so that's 100% in my book

I have recently realized that TAP files has a header that among other things defines the machine type and video mode. I don't know how common it is to set those values to something other than "standard" (i.e. PAL C64), but Audiotap as mentioned above makes a distinction on different values when generating WAV from TAP. However, as it is said before, PAL C64 may be the lowest common denominator from which files generated for it may load on both VIC and the NTSC machines.

When converting from tape/WAV to TAP, the program currently doesn't seem to honour different machine types or video modes, but I've put a feature request on the homepage. I may try to make a patch myself to see if it 1) is required and 2) works better.

i have had no luck getting .WAV to load a program on a real VIC
i only spent about one evening a month ago but found it a little frustrating
i tried to find some info about the amplitude of the sound but when i put a vic tape in the tape deck it plays back at about 0dB - and that wouldn't work when i played converted .TAP phyl3z......

i should try again
i got a dremel for xmas - i can cut up the face place so i can fit one of those 1/8" -> tape deck converters into the datasettes unit

I think JR referred to how to record a cassette to a WAV file so Audiotap can work on it to make a TAP, or vice versa, how to store the WAV file as generated when converting a TAP onto tape.

I have used a pretty standard stereo and/or small tape recorder, mono, 22 kHz which after some fiddling with settings such as inverting sample etc. I'd use line in on the sound card rather than microphone to get as little noise and impedance (?) as possible.